“Leading with Authentic Vulnerability & Courage”

Barbie Winterbottom has been in the HR field for over 20 years as an individual contributor to a Chief Human Resources Officer. She has seen and experienced first-hand the challenges HR teams and professionals face. Her resilience in the face of uncertainty and adversity is a quality she now realizes is key to success in the HR space. Barbie sees HR professionals for the amazing, tenacious and resilient people they are and works to bring them solutions and counsel to enhance their daily lives and organizations.

As a woman in leadership and the C-suite, Barbie has encountered barriers many women experience. Barbie has found a way to ensure her voice is heard by speaking the language of the businesses she serves and connecting in ways that resonate with those with whom she interacts. Earning respect is paramount to success, and Barbie does not shy away from difficult conversations, even when those conversations include confronting CEOs.

Being a passionate leader, Barbie is empowering other women entrepreneurs and leaders. While everyone is facing their challenges, Barbie consistently shares advice to identify and hold firm to one’s values. “Do the work for yourself to identify your top two values and always use them as a North Star to ensure you are on the right path.” Barbie’s top two values are authenticity and wholeheartedness, which she leverages daily.

While Barbie has many people who have mentored and helped develop her professionally and personally throughout her life, she is most inspired by Dr. Brene Brown. “Dr. Brown shares a message about connecting with yourself and others in ways that transcend personal and professional boundaries and focus on human connection, which is something we have lost in many ways in the workplace and in life,” says Barbie. Dr. Brown’s work has taught Barbie to embrace who she is, imperfections and all, and to lead with authentic vulnerability and courage. Barbie felt (as many women do) that perfection was the goal for many years. Now, she realizes perfection isn’t real and never will be.

The Business of HR was born because Barbie recognizes there are two gaps in the market regarding HR and People. The first gap exists in learning and development for HR professionals and leaders. The second is a massive gap in the respect and credibility the HR function has within many organizations. She recognized that there are a lot of conferences and programs that tell you what to do as an HR pro or a leader, but very few, if any, tell you HOW actually to do it in real life, in real terms, and in ways truly drive transformation and end goals. Unlike other consultants who have zero HR experience, Barbie has been there, done it, and understands the reality of what HR professionals face day in and day out.

“One element of the “how” is to understand and speak the language of the business and the people you are supporting. HR pros must understand financials, marketing, operations and all areas of the business,” she says. “With that knowledge, they must then connect the dots between the struggles of the business and the people who execute the work. By speaking the language of the business, HR pros gain respect and credibility, which creates trust, strong partnerships and real change.” Barbie highlights that the primary role is to create the right tools, systems, processes, and infrastructure to allow the people of her organizations to thrive. At the same time, they deliver the business outcomes they need. To do this, they must speak the language, understand the challenges, and always have the mindset of being a “business leader who works in the people space.”

One of the greatest accomplishments of The Business of HR is building up more HR leaders by providing education, tools, and resources. To equip more HR Pros in the world is essential because every HR leader has the power to transform a company and hundreds and thousands of employees’ lives. The Business of HR focus is on the individual HR practitioner striving to level up their career and looking for coaching and support to solve the real-world challenges of their job from experts who have been in the corporate and business world. IE